Buy a Friend a Book Week

It's almost July 1st, the start of Buy A Friend A Book Week. I'll admit it, I love books.

Currently I've been writing books, not reading them, but have a (literal) pile of books I'll be reading and commenting on here soon.

Lately it's been biz books I've been reading, but also love SciFi and old classics. Actually like just about everything.

So, buy a friend a book next week. Oh, buy a friend a book week happens several times a year? Even better!

Blogging/podcasting book done!

What No One Ever Tells You About Blogging and Podcasting: Real-Life Advice from 101 People who Successfully Leverage the Power of the Blogosphere is done - or at least the first solid draft, known as the manuscript!

Available for pre-order on Amazon although I wouldn't recommend it - what's the hurry? :) Won't be out until Nov.

Might as well recommend you buy your Thanksgiving turkey now too (for my US readers). Book details here.

I interviewed 101 people, including several readers of this blog, and describe their experiences, opinions, and thoughts. 101 is a lot.

Now I feel like I can continue my life - ohhh, wait! I need to catch up on all the things I've been ignoring!

Websites & Hair - Everybody Hates Theirs.

It's true.
Everyone like my website but me. Just looking at the first two sentences of the home page (which everyone tells me not to change), you see the following:

Ted Demopoulos is a speaker, author, and consultant who is passionate about technology, business, and especially their intersection.

Ted helps individuals and organizations make informed decisions about technology and business through his keynotes, consulting services, and seminars.

See the blatantly obvious and horrific problem?? The first sentence adds next to nothing.

It says I'm a speaker, author, and consultant who blah blah blah. Doesn't the second sentence pretty much say the same - no, not exactly, but close. There are too many words, saying not enough. Repetition is not necessary bad, but inappropriate here - it's in back to back sentences.

Oh, and this nonsense about "speaker, author, and consultant." Rarely does anyone hire a speaker, author, or consultant.

They hire an EXPERT who happens to speak, consult, write, etc. Not only am I concentrating on what I do instead of what I (allegedly) am, but I'm appealing to logic instead of emotion.

Need something done that you have no in house expertise in, you could hire a consultant - that's logical. Or, you could hire an expert - hey, that's sexier, that's cool, that gives you a warm feeling inside!

My clients are preferably human, at least most of them. Emotion sells. When I work for Vulcans I go for the "logical" sale.

Besides, consultants can screwup, as can the person who hired them. Experts? If the situation is hopeless, the outcome may be less than ideal, but with an expert, hey, you got the best help money can buy! It's not the expert's fault nor the person who hired them.

So, what am I an expert at? Social media? Information security? High tech entrepreneurial issues? Well, I'm a consultant - we're all experts at everything :)

No way to do business or keep friends!

From my wife - can you believe there are people with this biz model?
United InfoXchange is the offending company. Based in Portsmouth NH

What is the fastest way to alienate your friends? Subject them to an MLM presentation via phone and computer!

A 'friend' called me looking for advice about this business opportunity she was considering, when could we talk while I was at my computer screen? So we set the time, get the kids to bed and the phone rings.

After a few minutes of chit chat I am informed she has a 'friend' on the line as well to talk about this business opportunity. The 'friend' takes over the call telling me what to type into the browser window as my eyes and mind glaze over. Blah, blah, blah, yes, I have the window up on my screen.

The assault begins! With a simple at home pee in a cup test, they will be able to tell me all that ails my body. They will tell me if I have diabetes, if I am about to get breast cancer, if my thyroid doesn't work (and they tell me 90% of those tested have a problem) as the list of serious medical problems drones on.

What should I pack for my sons lunch tomorrow? After I take their highly personalized vitamins which have been formulated JUST FOR ME, I will take the pee test again and all those previous ailments or about to occur ailments will be gone.

Hmmm, interesting how they say I have them and if I take their product, I can pee in a cup again and they will tell me I no longer have those offensive ailment. I wonder if it will be warm tomorrow and I can have the kids wear shorts.

They have 8 'BIO' products too so while I am making my insides pretty, I can make my outside pretty too. Thank goodness, I would hate to have a healthy liver and not have anyone recognize it on the outside. Why hasn't Ted brought me a glass of wine while I am trapped on this phone call? How can I get a message to him?

I turn the background music up and hold the phone a little closer to the keyboard as I frantically type hoping the sales pitchers will know they don't have my full attention and I am surfing the web for dirt on this company.

It is at the top of the google search page, quackwatch.org. The BBB had 6 local complaints on them as well. Is it time to put the laundry in the dryer? What time should I leave for that appointment tomorrow? Pitch is over,

'What did you like best?' I am stunned! Nothing. Silence. Well, do I have any friends I can refer them to? Not the ones I want to keep as friends - the only one I will refer you to is the one who called.

I hate MLM schemes and I am offended that a friend has subjected me to a hard sell under false pretenses. She has been removed from our Christmas Card list.

Margaret

- my wife is more polite than I am. In some circumstances rudeness, and yes even profanity, may be appropriate!

George Soros on a Videoblog - Social Media moves forward

Wow, George Soros appears on Rocketboom, perhaps the most popular video blog.

When a world famous philanthropist, activist, and financial speculator starts appearing on blogs you know social media is making serious inroads into the mainstream.

Why? Soros doesn't use the Internet. Maybe he has a crush on Rocketboom host Amanda, like most of the blogosphere? Maybe because they both have been described as subscribing to "wingnut politics?" (no comment from me - I'm an a political anarchist, although a Soros and Amanda fan).

In any case, a very interesting short interview. I suggest you check it out.

What I Want to do When I Grow Up - The Ted Rap Goals

As part of the Problogger blogging goals group writing project.

My original goals were simple:

1) Experiment with blogging. Hey, I'd been on the 'net for over 20 years and I hadn't done it yet
2) Reposition myself as not just a techie, but a technical guy with business skills and vice-versa. The business skills come after 15 years of consulting and a few startups.

So, now, what are my NEW goals? I'm growing up, what do I want to do?

Whatever I do WILL be reflected, if not even driven, by blogging.

My biz life has three somewhat distinct parts. They need to be combined somehow

1) I'm a computer security guy. I've always done a lot of this work, still do, and enjoy it!

2) I'm a new media consultant and author. Blog, podcast, etc. consulting is a growing revenue stream as well and I love it

3) Technology entrepreneurial stuff. While I'm not at the level of my friend Pierre Noel at The Arial Group, I'm constantly being tapped by friends and colleagues on startup issues.

So, I'm a New Media Security Startup guy?? Hmmm, I might need to work on that, and The Ted Rap will lead the way.

(Goals for my other blog here)

My New Book is Out - sort of

I'll admit I'm excited - and often easily excited :)

My next book, What No One Ever Tells You About Blogging and Podcasting, can be preordered from Amazon now, even though I'm only 75% done writing it. There's a link on the right sidebar.

It's the thoughts, opinions, and experiences of 101 people who profit from blogs and other new media. I'm interviewing 101 people (I need a few more - got an idea? email me) and getting close to done, and writing a few hundred words on each.

This book has required an obsession on my part, which must continue for a couple of weeks in order to finish. My manuscript is due May 1st - yup, I'm late. Just like Dickens, Shakespeake, Wilde, and Dan Brown. Errrr, their books have a bit more "staying power" I'll admit.

Net Neutrality: Interview with Paul Misener, Wise Amazon Dude

Denise of the Blog Squad, has a great interview with Paul Misener, principal developer and representative of Amazon.com's public policy positions worldwide, on Net Neutrality

I'm listening to it now and it's great.

(The Blog Squad, Denise and Patsi, also appear in my second book).

Amusing Net Neutrality Video

Yes, net neutrality is under attack. Big companies want to control what you can access on the Internet.

Watch Moby, a crazed bald dude, in this zany video and call Congress too if you'd like. Oh, it's Grammy-nominated musician Moby - I though they just found some homeless guy on the street!

Save The Internet

The House of Representatives is preparing to vote this week on whether to protect Internet freedom - let them know what you think.

Blogging for Business speech slides

I've put my slides from my recent Monster.com talk online (Power Point format).

Had a great time, especially as I got to hand out copies of Blogging for Business to members of the audience for asking good questions, answering my questions, and pretty much whatever I wanted. And they asked some veeeery good questions; this was a group of smart people.

It was also very cool as I was in the "Mill" in Maynard, where I spent well over a hundred days speaking and consulting with DEC, in the same room I've spoken in probably 100 times in the 90s!

I made one mistake, as I'm no marketing powerhouse. I didn't have much contact info in the slides. In retrospect, I should have, especially to the Blogging For Business blog it would have added value.

Well, I removed the Monster specific slide (fill out your reviews), and added a contact/resource page.

Magalog - part magazine, part catalog

I'm going to write a "magalog" – part magazine, part catalog. A both paper and electronic version with valuable editorial content, as well as sales copy and probably an order form.

The paper version is important. People don't throw away interesting paper products as quickly as they delete emails. Also, I can doubtlessly distribute my paper magalog when I speak, appear on panels, and otherwise hang out at business events.

I'll have a PDF version freely downloadable from my Web site and blogs as well – and I know lots of people will download it IF it's really good.

It'll probably be 8-12 pages initially. It'll have some (hopefully) great articles, maybe a page on my products and services (OK, so I don't really have any products yet . . . I will soon), and an order form, but it will primarily feature great content.

Hmmmm, products? Well I have my Blogging for Business Book, What No One Tells You about Blogging and Podcasting book coming up, and some great although expensive videos from WatchIt.com. Amazon, Barnes and Noble, etc. do a good job selling the books already – no real profit in selling it myself. Maybe I'll sell a few videos – they're about $300 a pop, so it's pretty much corporate market.

I think my primary products will be audio CDs and ebooks on business blogging. They need to be extremely good, and great value too.

I got the idea from Randy Gage from a teleseminar recording from SpeakerNet News. Here is his magalog.

For the time being however, I think I better get back to writing What No One Ever Tells You About Blogging and Podcasting . . . Yeah, behind schedule.